Spbrng-mattress



IUT e N. PETERS, PHDTO`LITMOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D4 C.

'UNITE earns arr mon.

P. ONEIL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPRING-MATTRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 6,686, dated September 4, 1849; Antedated August 4, 1849.

To all whom 25 may concern.'

Be it known that I, PATRICK ONEIL, of the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Paillasses and Matresses; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, refer ence being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of the same, in which- Figure l is a geometrical side elevation of a paillasse with mattress; Fig. 2, an end elevation of the former; Fig. 8 a. bottom view thereof; Fig. 4 a top view of part of the same; and Fig. 5 represents one of the end slats of the paillasse.

On the side rails a; of an oblong frame are set, and fastened by means of staples or otherwise, any convenientnumber of spira-l springs b, to the top of every two of which, crosswise said frame, is laid, and fastened by staples, a slat c, whereby a series of slats is formed, which constitute the foundation for the mattress to rest on. These slats are connected by means of elastic or other strips', bands, or cords CZ, which pass, through holes in said slats, alternately over and under them, as distinctly shown in Fig. 4.

The object of these elastic cords is, to keep the slats at a proper distance from each other, when under pressure. To the underside and near each extremity of each of said slats is fastened a strap or cord e, which passes down through the center of the spiral spring and through a hole in the rails a of the frame. The extremities of said straps are furnished with several loops,

- by which they may be hung or attached over knobs f on the underside of the frame. By these means the elasticity of the mattress may be regulated in whole or in part, at the optionl of the occupant, which is an irnportant desideratum for persons having spinal diseases, ulcers` or sores of any description on any part of the body; or who are subject to any other complaint, which may require certain parts of the body to be guarded against rupture or friction, or Who prefer a more or lesshard bed at certain seasons of the year.

For the purpose of producing a mattress, which is to be elastic all over, the permanent end-pieces, to which formerly the ends of the elastic bands CZ were fastened, are entirely dispensed with, and instead thereof said bands are attached to the underside of ythe extreme slats c, which are furnished each With two bolts g made in the form of a T, and the heads of which are fastened into th-e underside of said slats, by means of plates 7L or otherwise, in such a manner as to move like hinges. The lower shank of said bolts passes down through t-he tube z', which it is made to fit. If put in French bedsteads said bolts can not be observed at all, and consequently the appearance of the bedstead is not eected thereby. The crossbraccs j are provided for the purpose of keeping the paillasse in its proper form laterally.

The mattress on the to-p of the slats has an additional strip of cloth 7o attached to its under edge, by which it is fastened to the ends of the slats, the ticking or other covering-material of the mattress passing down, is attached to the underside of the frame, thereby covering the springs, and concealing the nails or tacks, by which it is fastened.

l/Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The mode of regulating the elasticity of the mattress, so as to increase or diminish the pressure on any part of the person using it, by the means and for the purposes herein above described.

2. Furthermore I claim the use of the bolts g and t-he tubes i, substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein above set forth.

PATRICK ONEIL.

Witnesses:

THOMAS D. SMITH, FRANCIS BENNE. 

